East Asian nations agree to protect RI workers
East Asian nations agree to protect RI workers
JAKARTA (JP): Governments in South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong
have agreed to formally provide legal protection to Indonesians
working in their countries, a senior official of the Ministry of
Manpower said.
Suwarto, director general for Industrial Relations and Labor
Standards, told The Jakarta Post this week that the three East
Asian countries have accepted a proposal to draw up standard
working contracts for Indonesian workers employed there.
"Under these contracts, the position of our workers will be
clearer and stronger, vis-a-vis employers and employment agencies
who recruit them," he said.
The principle agreements were secured during a recent visit by
Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief to the three countries which,
together, employ about 27,000 Indonesians -- 7,000 in South
Korea, 6,000 in Taiwan and 13,000 in Hong Kong.
Suwarto, who accompanied the minister on the tour, said that
the official delegation also met with Indonesian workers in those
countries to discuss some of the problems they are encountering.
Indonesia has already signed such an agreement with Malaysia
and Saudi Arabia, two major destinations for Indonesian workers.
The contract with Saudi Arabia details the rights and
obligations of Indonesian workers and their employers, while the
one with Malaysia reaffirms that Indonesian workers are protected
under the Malaysian labor laws.
Suwarto said the standard working contracts for South Korea,
Taiwan and Hong Kong will stipulate workers' rights, the minimum
wages that they are paid, labor standards and the rights and
obligations of workers as stipulated in their labor laws.
The contracts are virtually a formality because Indonesian
workers in those three countries are already protected by the
local labor laws, and are not discriminated against, he said.
However, they will still be a valuable document to contain the
problems of Indonesian workers being abused by their foreign
employers. Several cases of abuse against Indonesian domestic
helpers in Hong Kong have been reported in recent years.
In terms of salary, Suwarto said most Indonesian workers in
Hong Kong receive about HK$5,000 a month (Rp 1.5 million), which
is higher than the HK$3,750 set as the minimum wage level. "They
also work set hours and get one day off each week," he said.
Most Indonesian workers in Taiwan are employed in
manufacturing industries and some as house maids. In South Korea,
the majority are employed as trainees in local manufacturing
companies. (rms)